DiAnn Mills
Interviewed by Gay N. Lewis
I am excited to bring DiAnn Mills to the Diamond Mine
today. I met this lovely, gracious author in 2014 at a Romance Writers of
America meeting in Houston. She is not only kind, but she is also generous
with her time, talent and knowledge. She helps struggling authors. Now get this! She has 94 books in print! She is also a Christy Award Winner!
She and her husband have been married for 31 years,
and they live in NW Houston. They have four grown sons. She understands the
loss of a child. Like our daughter, one of her sons now lives in heaven. She
has three fabulous grands. When she’s not busy writing, she enjoys gardening,
cooking, hiking, and travel.
DiAnn Mills is
a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She
weaves memorable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed,
suspense-filled novels with threads of romance. DiAnn considers every breath of life is someone’s story, so
why not capture those moments and create a thrilling adventure?
Her titles have appeared on the CBA, ECPA, and
Publishers Weekly bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards, Selah, Golden
Scroll, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests.
DiAnn is a founding board member of the American
Christian Fiction Writers, an active member of the Blue Ridge Mountains
Christian Writers, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers
of America, the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, and International Thriller
Writers. DiAnn continues her passion for helping other writers be successful.
She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.
Now for the interview!
DiAnn, what do you read these days?
I read mostly suspense, romantic suspense, and all genres! I like reading the bestsellers and using them as a textbook to learn.
Is Writing your only ministry?
I mentor writers, coach writers, and I edit.
I speak to writing groups, women groups, book clubs, libraries, and whoever is
looking for a speaker.
When did you decide to write, and what was your first
book?
I wrote my first book in the second grade on
a Big Chief notebook pad. It was a western. 😊 I wrote all my life but always destroyed my work, due to a lack of
confidence. I knew God had called me to write, but I still lacked courage. In
1996, my husband said to me, “Stop telling me that someday you’re going to
write a book. Quit your job, and I’ll give you one year to get anything
published. And if you do, whether you’re paid for it or not, you won’t need to
go back to your job.” I took him up on the challenge. I looked at my new career
in three areas: learning how to write, reading, and consuming bestsellers—all
tasks beginning with prayer. I sold my first novel, a short story, and two
articles that year.
God instilled in me that whatever I learned
about writing, the publishing industry, and marketing and promotion needed to
be shared with other writers.
How did you find publishers?
The Writers Market Guide. I was serious and determined. I studied until I found publishers
who might be interested in my novel. My first book was a historical romance.
Do you have an agent? If so, how did you find one?
Yes! Steve Laube of the Steve Laube Agency
is my agent. We’ve known each other for years.
How
do you get reviews?
Several ways:
·
My publisher secures reviews
through their contacts.
·
Readers post reviews.
·
My launch team (Dream Team)
posts reviews.
·
I encourage readers to leave
reviews.
I have a list of readers whom I
notify when the netgalley link is available.
A rescue
team searches for a missing young girl and suspects all is not as it seems in
this high-stakes romantic suspense novel from the author of Lethal
Standoff and Facing the Enemy.
When
wilderness survival expert Therese Palmer receives a frantic phone call from
former colleague Professor Rurik Ivanov, she is shocked by the news that his
young daughter, Alina, is missing—and that Rurik wants Therese’s help finding
her. She’s sure Rurik hasn’t given her the whole story . . . especially since
he refuses to report the kidnapping to the police. Yet with a child’s life
hanging in the balance, Therese can’t turn down this mission. She knows the
clock is ticking and she can’t do this alone.
Therese
reaches out to Texas Ranger Blane Gardner, whom she met seven months ago during
one of her training courses in wilderness survival skills. Blane’s specialized
training and background with the Crisis Negotiation Unit make him uniquely
prepared for this search-and-rescue mission. He agrees to help Therese and to
accept Rurik’s terms to keep Alina’s disappearance quiet, and as the two begin
working together, Therese is determined the spark growing between them won’t
distract from their mission to save Alina.
Traversing
deep into the desert of Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Alina’s last known
location, Therese and Blane struggle to separate truth from lies within the mix
of intel they’re receiving. As they close in on answers that suggest the
involvement of Russian organized crime and a high-profile international
assassination attempt, they must fight to rescue Alina before she becomes an
innocent casualty of a much bigger plot—no matter the risk to their own lives.
What do you want
readers to take away from your books?
Inspiration
and encouragement to change and grow physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Her recent books are these:
FACING THE ENEMY - Tyndale September 2023
Website
- diannmills.com
Facebook
- facebook.com/diannmills
Twitter
X - x.com/diannmills
Blog
- diannmills.com/articles
BookBub
- bookbub.com/authors/diann-mills
Instagram
- instagram.com/diannmillsauthor/
YouTube
- https://www.youtube.com/user/diannmills
LinkedIn
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/diannmills/
Pinterest
- https://www.pinterest.com/diannmills/
Goodreads
- https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/81639.DiAnn_Mills
